Exclusion generates uncertainty

The Granite Belt Community Association has called on council for full transparency on workshops planned next week on de-amalgamation.

GBCA president Alan Colyer (pictured) has called for transparency in the upcoming workshops. Picture: Matthew Purcell

THE Granite Belt Community Association has called on council for full transparency on workshops planned next week on de-amalgamation after saying they'd been left out of the process.

A community workshop to discuss the proposal will be held at the Civic Centre on Monday, April 1 and GBCA president Rev Alan Colyer said they had some concerns.

After compiling its own review, council has sought Greg Hoffman to scrutinise the council review, as well as GBCA's split proposal.

"Whilst we are certain that SDRC will be committed to ensuring that the presentations by Mr Hoffman and Mr Smith will be fair and balanced, we are disappointed by our association's exclusion from this process,” Rev Colyer said. "The SDRC's Management Review was effectively a document in opposition to our proposal and we are naturally concerned about Mr Hoffman's review, given the apparent nature of the instructions given to him by the CEO in February.”

"Correspondence from Mr Hoffman, dated March 17, has been shared with the association by the SDRC and notes that on February 8 an email was received from the CEO, David Keenan, seeking his (Mr Hoffman's) assistance 'to support development of a response to the proposal of the Granite Belt Community Association'.

"In contrast, Mr Hoffman proposes only a peer review of the Council Management review response.

"We consider that, in these circumstances, we are entirely justified in our concerns about the fairness to our association of this process,” Rev Colyer said.

The GBCA has requested copies of all emails, letters and file notes of meetings between SDRC staff and officers and Mr Hoffman and his associates in relation to this matter prior to February 8, 2019 until now.

"We have also requested that arrangements be made for our consultant David Spearritt, or other representatives of our association, have a meeting with Mr Hoffman prior to his finalisation of his various reviews and a copy of his presentation to the workshops be provided to the GBCA in reasonable time prior to the first workshop,” Rev Colyer said.

"This will enable full transparency and ensure the workshops will provide balanced and fair information for the ratepayers, who are after all paying for this.”

The workshop will start at 6.30pm after the draft budget information session.